Fotos: Arquivo Turisrio
The first Brazilian city to hold international standard events
Riotur/Ricardo Zerrenner
Riotur/Ricardo Zerrenner
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The six tourist regions are ready to stage captivating events >> The State of Rio de Janeiro has been sung in verse by artists and poets alike and welcomes everyone with a smile on their face. It has indescribable scenery and a vibrant culture. Besides the beaches that are known and admired worldwide, the nature here includes 15 national and state parks, with san-
Metropolitan Region >> “Wonderful City, full of charm...”. This is how the Rio de Janeiro city Hymn, by André Filho, begins. It characterises the attractive mosaic of the entrance to Brazil and also the joy of the local people who are referred to as “cariocas”. The locals have an affable way of welcoming visitors and they have given the city the title of “happiest people on earth”. It has the blessing of the statue of Christ the Redeemer, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World that, from the top of Corcovado Mountain, opens his arms out over the beautiful Guanabara Bay. Its beauty continues to inspire singers, poets and painters, transforming the area into a reference point for artistic, cultural parades and political protests.
One of the most important metropolises in South America, the state capital has been the capital of the Colony, the Empire and the Republic, and has a plethora of historical buildings, such as the Paço Imperial (Imperial Palace), fortresses and hundreds of churches and temples. The views of Sugarloaf Mountain, the Botanical Gardens, Copacabana beach and the Tijuca National Park, among many others, have continued to delight tourists for decades. In 2012, the city was awarded the UNESCO World Heritage Status in the urban cultural landscape category. Other trademarks of the city include Carnival, Samba and Bossa Nova as well as its main gastronomic symbol, Feijoada (bean stew), accompanied by the traditio-
nal caipirinha. Its hundreds of bars and restaurants come alive at night, filling the streets of Lapa and Santa Teresa with a bohemian atmosphere. There is an intense cultural agenda that occurs throughout the year, culminating with a big New Year’s Eve party on Copacabana beach. Niterói, the final city that completes the Metropolitan region is located across Guanabara Bay from Rio. A 13km bridge links the two cities, but there is also a ferry service connecting the two. It has secular fortresses, beaches like Itacoatiara and Camboinhas and various viewing platforms. The Niemeyer route shows off some of the work created by architect Oscar Niemeyer, including the Museum of Contemporary Art.
and enjoy a fondue at night in the mild climate of the mountains. In this special pullout, we present some of the main tourist attractions in the six regions of the state: Metropolitan, Green Coast, Sun Coast, Coffee Valley, Imperial Green Mountain and Agulhas Negras (Black Needles). Welcome to Rio de Janeiro!
Green Coast
The new Maracanã, which underwent extensive renovation to host the Confederations Cup and the FIFA World Cup
Arquivo Turisrio
Ipanema Beach and the Botanical Gardens in Rio de Janeiro; and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Niterói
dbanks, waterfalls, rivers, streams, trails, mountains and forests. The 635 km coastline has many ecological sanctuaries. Within three hours from Rio, it is possible to visit many attractions in various regions. You can go for a walk along the beach and enjoy coconut water to cool off from the heat during the day
>> The famous state capital will host the 2016 Olympic Games and it will stage the 2014 FIFA Football World Cup Final. According to the annual rankings of the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA), Rio de Janeiro is the Brazilian city that hosted the most international events in 2012, with 83 congresses and conventions within the ICCA criteria (itinerant events with a fixed period and a minimum of 50 participants), which puts Rio in 25th place in the world city ranking. The metropolis boasts convention centres of various sizes and many hotels with meeting rooms. It also offers great technological resources and good access to ports, airports and bus stations by subway, bus services and a large taxi network.
Confederations Cup - Altogether there were 16 games and a final that couldn’t have been dreamed up by a screenwriter. But, much more than watching the Brazilian team beat the best team in the world on the biggest stage in National football – the Maracanã there were other fruits to be harvested, especially in Tourism. To begin with, the final of the Confederations Cup, in which Brazil beat Spain 3-0, about half of the nearly 80,000 fans that attended the game were from outside of Rio de Janeiro. A survey by the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism pointed out that about 25,000 foreigners visited the country during the 15-day event. A small number compared to the 600,000 that are expected for the FIFA World Cup, but the opinion of those visitors is a good thermometer to point
out if we are on the right track. This was indeed the goal of a survey commissioned by the Ministry to the Foundation Institute of Economic Research (FIPE). According to preliminary results, the majority of foreigners approved of the infrastructure of the host cities, including Rio de Janeiro. WYD - Another major event held this year was the World Youth Day, which brought thousands of foreign visitors to Rio. The first foreign trip of Pope Francisco turned all eyes turn in to the Wonderful City, highlighting the destination as the hub for Religious Tourism. The World Youth Day (WYD) attracted 2 million people to Rio de Janeiro. The highlights were the passage of the Pope along Copacabana beach and the Mass held in Vargem Grande.
Cataguazes Islands in Angra dos Reis, Lopes Mendes in Ilha Grande and Paraty
>> The Green Coast, located on the southern shoreline where Serra do Mar (Sea Mountain) meets the Atlantic, is formed by the cities of Angra dos Reis, Paraty, Mangaratiba, Itaguaí and Rio Claro. This area was one of the first to be colonized in Brazil and has more than two thousand beaches, some semi-deserted, a multitude of islands and mountains covered by Atlantic Forest. It is also rich in historical and cultural heritage and has an excellent hotel infrastructure, with large seaside resorts and places for fishing, diving and sailing. The local cuisine is seafood based, with inspiration from indigenous cooking, for example fish with banana. Angra dos Reis has 365 islands and a very busy shopping centre as well as modern malls and a large marina. There are
varied options of accommodation, hotels, resorts and guest houses, and attractions such as boat rides, nature trails along rivers and waterfalls, water sports, as well as abseiling, mountain biking and rafting. It also has a good range of restaurants and is an obligatory stop off for the large cruise ships that sail past this region. Ilha Grande (Big Island), close to Angra dos Reis, is a tourism icon of the region. It has trails, waterfalls and creeks, like the Blue Lagoon, and several beaches, especially Lopes Mendes, Aventureiro and Saco de Palmas. In the central region, the small city of Abrahão has many restaurants and guesthouses, and also several agencies that offer boat tours. The island can be accessed by boat, catamaran or barge, from the ports
of Angra dos Reis, Jacareí and Mangaratiba. Paraty is different to Angra as it is an historical city with unique beauty due to its colonial mansions and cobbled stone streets. It boasts a calm water bay, surrounded by the rich vegetation of the National Park of Serra da Bocaina, where there is still a stretch of the Estrada Real (Royal Road), and the old gold route. There are international restaurants and excellent hotels. The cachaça here is one of its greatest icons. The destination grinds to a stop when it hosts the annual Paraty Literary Festival (FLIP), which attracts artists from around the world. Be sure to visit the Trindade community, which is 17 km from Paraty. Its incredibly beautiful beaches, such as Meio (Middle), and the unspoilt nature are waiting for you.